Girl Behind The Mask
by amessoffand0ms
Summary: The Doctor gets to know his wife a little better. Set sometime after "The Angels Take Manhattan." Slightly inspired by the song "Masquerade" by Eric Saade.


Girl Behind The Mask

Knock-knock-knock.

"All right, all right! I'm coming!" The Doctor grumbled, making his way to the front door of the Tardis.

It had been a few years since Manhattan, he still missed Amy and Rory every now and then. But, all things considered, he was enjoying travelling by himself, if he was honest.

He opened the door and found River Song standing there, wearing the same dress as she'd wore when she fell out of the Byzantium-on top of him, no less. Her outfit was complete with a glittery flower clip in her hair and red wine coloured heels.

"Hello, Sweetie." She grinned at him.

"River!" He beamed, taking her hand and leading her into the Tardis. "Where are we, then?"

"Married." She grinned.

"Good good." He chuckled, pecking her on the lips."

"And we just did Manhattan a few weeks ago." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh, love." The Doctor pulled her close. "How are you coping?"

"Okay, I suppose." She sighed, cuddling into him. She rested her forehead against the top of his shoulder for a few minutes, and the two held each other close.

"Anyway." Said River. "I've come for a favour. Sort of."

"Yes?" He asked.

"Well, I've been invited to a friend's birthday party, and I'd, well..." She bit her lip nervously and dipped her head, wondering how to ask him what she wanted.

"Yes, my darling?" He asked gently, tilting her chin up with his hand so she was looking at him.

"Would you come to the party with me? As my date?" She blurted out.

The Doctor smiled at his wife. "Of course I will. I like your outfit, by the way."

"Thank you, it's one of my favourites." She beamed. "Thank you for agreeing to come with me, it means a lot. It will be nice to do something as a normal couple."

"It will, and it means a lot to me too. So, what about these friends of yours, then?" He asked.

River stepped away from him and fiddled with the console, much to his annoyance. "Oh, humanoid aliens. Green skinned, they're quite nice really. The food will be amazing, I can tell you that much. I always loved Ampere."

"Oh, Ampere! Fantastic planet that." Her husband agreed. "What time do we have to be there for?"

River checked the watch that she was wearing. "Not for a couple of hours yet. You might want to get off soon though, there will probably be traffic. Alana is daughter the ruler of the whole planet." Said River. The Doctor was currently parked on the planet Attica, his wife had used her vortex manipulator to get herself there.

"Ah, fair enough. D'you know the coordinates?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes and gave him a shove. "Oh course I do, idiot."

"You love me really." The Doctor smiled.

She melted under his gaze and blushed. "That I do."

He kissed her. "I love you too."

A while later...

"Right, here we are then." Said the Doctor, waltzing into the central console room wearing a pair of black shiny shoes, black trousers, white dinner jacket and a white shirt, complete with a black bowtie.

"Er, who did the driving?" River prompted. She was wearing the same outfit from earlier, and had freshened up a little.

"You did." He admitted. "And you left the brakes on."

"I know how much you like the sound." His wife grinned, taking his hand and pulling him in the direction of the Tardis front door. "Come on!"

"Haven't you got your friend a birthday present?"

"I gave a pink pony to her a while back, she's a horse lover. Now move." River ordered.

"Yes dear." He chuckled.

They exited the Tardis, and found themselves on a busy street. It was evening, lights were flashing, cars were rushing dangerously close to the pavement in every direction-it looked like New York on a Saturday night.

"Wow, this is... busy." Said the Doctor.

River took his arm and began to lead him down the street. "There isn't time to be standing around gawping, we'll be late."

They made their way down the busy street, and came to a night club, which River stopped at. "Here we are."

She led them inside, stopping to nod at one of the bouncers and whisper something in his ear.

"What was that?" The Doctor asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, I promise." River replied, her facing lighting up as she spotted Alana. "Lana! Happy birthday!"

The Doctor was introduced to a tall woman with green skin, and brunette curly hair, much like River's own.

"This is my husband, the Doctor. He annoys the hell out of me but I love him really." River said proudly.

"Ah, I'm Alana. I've heard a lot about you, mostly good." Alana shook the Doctor's hand with a smile. "Lovely to meet you."

"Lovely to meet you too." The Doctor smiled warmly.

"Right, where's the food? Actually, I'd like a glass of wine too." River asked.

"River, you can't just demand food and drink!" Her husband growled at her.

"She's fine." Alana chuckled. "There's food and drink a little further down."

"Thank you." Said River, hurrying off, her husband following closely in her wake.

"So?" River asked a few minutes later. The two were sat on one of the sofas towards the back of the club, a couple of plates of food and two wine glasses on the low table in front of them.

"It's all right, I suppose." He teased.

"Honestly, I thought that you'd enjoy yourself. I quite like a party myself, I go clubbing quite a lot in 2016 New York." River responded, laying a head on his shoulder.

"I am enjoying myself. See, I don't know this part of you very well... The carefree woman, the party girl." The Doctor replied, stroking her curly hair.

"That's because I often have to put a brave face on for you." She admitted.

"A mask, almost..."

"Yes." She agreed. "But Doctor, I promise you that no one sees the real me-the vulnerable me, the me that loves you more than life itself, other than you."

"I know." He said, kissing her gently.

She leaned her forehead against his and smiled as a pop song began to play. "Care for a dance?"

"I think that I'll stay here for now, I haven't finished my wine."

"Okay." River gave him a quick kiss and made her way to the dance floor, and began to dance with Alana.

The Doctor watched his wife, a smile on his face. She hadn't looked so carefree in all her life, her curly hair bouncing around her shoulders and framing her smiling, radiant face perfectly.

"Sweetie, come dance with me!" She called.

"Okay." He smiled, and made his way to the dance floor and took River Song's hands in his.

The two danced together, laughing and flirting. No matter what would happen in their lives, they were the one for each other, and would love one another no matter what.


End file.
